Internal-combustion engine



Feb. 21, 1928. 1,660,255

I 1 c. s. CLARK INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wuemtoz Feb. 21,

1,660,255 c. s. CLARK INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E- 7' W w /9 r 4 H1 In 5 A gu'uemlfoz Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

STATES PA E T orries.

continues s. CLARK, or NORFOLK, viReINi-A, nests-non "SD-CLARK ENGINEERING CORPORATION, or nenronn, VIRGINIA, A conronerion or VIRGINIA.

J QMBUSTION EN Application filed July 1 0, 1925. Serial No. 42,797.

means to prevent the interchange of the the accomplishment "of the desiredres crank case and combustionchamber fluids in the normal functioning of the internal combustion engine. In my application *Ser. No. 710,882, filed May 31, 1924 means were described for segregating the non-volatile fraction of the combustible mixture which ordinarily tends to leak along the joint between the cylinder wall and :piston ,under the urge. of the compression within the cylinder and the lubricating'oil of thecran'k case which is commonly drawn up"thro ugh the joint between the piston and cylinder into the combustion chamber upon the section stroke of the engine. The effect of the admixture of the no-n-volatile fucl upon the crank case oilis to destroy the viscosity and consequently to impai-r tho lubricating '.ca pacity of the oil. case oilin the combustion chamber =res' in fouling the spark plugs and in therapid carbonization of the exposed surfaces of the cylinder head and piston. Thepurpose of the invention described in my aforesaid pending application was to overcome both of these disadvantages. The present inv ntion has the same purpose butunde it by means which are simpler and more efiicient than those disclosed insaid pendinpapplication.

The present invention has for its object to prevent the presence-of any non-volatile fuel in the combustion chamber as well as to provide improved means for intercepting and carrying back to the crank case the oil leaking therefrom'in its passage along the joint between the cylinder and piston.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a n.'-Iil l'ustrative embodiment ofmy invention proceeds.

In the drawings d p V Figure'l is a longitudinal vie-w partly in section of the herein described embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of one of the cylinders showing the piston in lowermost position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section of a detail showing the piston rings.

-' Figure 4 is'a" section through the injector. Figure 5 is a section taker. along the line 55 of Figure 1. i

The presence of cranl;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a port-ion of the suction manifold. I 1 7 Referring now in detail'to the several figures, the numeral 1 represents amu-lticylinder cylinder-block one of the cylinders being shown in vertical sectiOnat-Q disclosing the piston 3. illhepiston is provided with sealing means-4 consisting of a pair of novel rings hereinafter to be described. It is to be understood, how-even: that theinvention contemplatesthe use of any forni'of sealing means whatsoever and isnot limited to the presence of but one ring or ringgroove. The cylinders are each provided with a circumferential groove 5 arranged" in such a position that it will be constantly overlain by that part of the pistonlyi-rrg between the sealing means, or the lowermost ring if several are used, and the end of the piston skirt. V 1

The cylinder-block.is'provided with an integral intake and exhaust 1nanifold,:6 be ing theintake passage and 7 the exhaust passage. The manifold is also formed with achamber or reservoir 8 open-at 9 to the exhaust passage and having awall 10 thereof in commonrwith the intake passage. A conduit ll communicates with thereservoir8 and with the crank case 1 2 of the cylinderblock at 13. Intercalated in the conduit 11 is a suction producing device such as the inject-or'l l having a nozzle 15 through which a jetof exhaust gas from the reservoir v8 passes. The cylinder grooves 5' are in cominun-ication with the conduit ll'by means of a suction manifold '16 which is connected to the injector 1& at points adjacent the noz-. zle-15 and in such relation to said nozzle that the velocity of'the jet of exhaust gas passing therethrough produces a condition from being drawn into the intake manifold and thence into'the combustion chamber with the current of indrawn air. The principal effect of'this was wastage of oil, al-

ill)

I longitudinal translatory movement withinthough a certain amount of carbonization of the walls of the combustion chamber also took place. By the substitution of the exhaust gas as a suction producing agent, the induction of oil into the combustion chamber is precluded, and. the velocity of the jet of oil laden exhaust gas is checked when said jet reaches the oapac-ious chamber of the crank case, the liquid oil entrained therein being dropped in the form of a spray or shower into the body of oil in the crank case, the dry exhaust gas after expansion into the crank case chamber issuing from the breather pipe (not shown) in an imperceptr ble flow.

The reservoir 8 serves both the purpose of a hot-spot in heating the intake passage 6 and of a pressure chamber, in which the impulses of the exhaust in the exhaust passage 7 are transformed into a substantially steady flow through the conduit 11. -By permitting direct transfer of heat from the exhaust gases to the intake passage, the reservoir 8 accomplishes the effect of thoroughly volatilizing the combustible mixture in the intake passage so that no non-volatile fraction of the liquid fuel enters the combustion chambers'of the cylinders. 7

It will be noted from Figure 4; that the injector is preferably formed with a nozzle of variable length,'the object being to regulate the length of the nozzle according to requirements, depending upon the condition of the engine. If the rings are much worn so that there is a tendency to pump a great deal of oil, a nozzle of greater effective length is indicated than would be the case were the sealing means in better condition.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invent-ion shown in the drawings the piston 3 has been provided with but a single groove, the same being shown in detail in Figure 3 and consisting of an upper portion 17 which is of relatively great depth, and a lower por tion 18 of relatively shallow depth but of greater width than the upper portion. A ring 19 which is relatively thin and broad is seated in the upper portion 17 of the groove and a relatively thick ring 20 finds a seat in the lower portion of the groove. Practically no play or tolerance is provided for between the inner end of the upper ring 19 and the portion of the groove in which it seats, but the usual tolerance is provided in the case of the lower ring 20 so that it has a slight the groove. The breadth of the upper ring gives it such degree of resiliency that when it is subject to the pressure from the combustion chamber the outer peripheral part thereof flexes downwardly maintaining a position in contact with the upper face of the.

lower ring 20 throughout therange of movement of the latter ring, while at the same time the inner peripheral portion of the upper ring remains substantially fixed with respect to the groove in which itseats. The

result of this is to provide a duplex piston ring in which thermal expansion is provided for in the wide part whichicontacts with the wall of the cylinder, a gas-tight joint being mantained between the rear portion of the duplex ring and the bottom of the ring groove.

Using this form of ringI find that but one ring to a piston gives a result eminently satlsfactory when used in connection with the Oll conserving device of my 1I1V8nt1OIL- It is, however, within the scope of the invenan exhaust manifold, a suction manifold communicating with the joints between said cylinders and pistons at points always with in the range of travel of said pistons, a conduit leading from said exhaust manifold to said crank case, withwhich conduit said suction manifold communicates, and suction producing means operable by the velocity of the jet of exhaustgas through said conduit for imposing acondition of sub-atmospheric pressure in said suction manifold.

2. In an internal combustion engine'ineluding cylinders, pistons, and a crankcase, an exhaust manifold, a suction manifold communicating with the joints between said cylinders and pistons, a conduit including a fluid pressure reservoir of relatively large size communicating with said exhaust manifold and said crank case, with which conduit said suction manifold communicates, and suction producing means operable by the velocity of the jet of exhaust gas through said conduit for imposing a condition of subatmospheric pressure in said suction manifold. r

, 3. In an internal combustion engine ineluding cylinders, pistons, and a crank case, an exhaust manifold, a suction manifold communicating with the oints between said cylinders and pistons, at points within the range of travel of said pistons, a conduit including a fluid pressure reservoir of rela- V tively large size communicating with said exhaust manifold and. said crank case, with which conduit said suction manifold communicates, and suction'producing means operable by the velocity of the jet of exhaust gas through said conduit for imposing a condition of sub-atmospheric pressure in said suction manifold- 4. In an internal combustion engine, in-

cluding cylinders,pistons, and a crank case, a manifold having integral intake and exhaust passages, a suction manifold communicating with the joints-between said cylinders and pistons at points always within the range of travel of said pistons, a conduit communicating with said exhaust passage and having a portion thereof in heat interchanging relationship with said intake passage, with which conduit said suction manifold communicates, said conduit communieating with said crank case, and suction producing means in said conduit operable by the velocity of the jet-of'the exhaust gas through said conduit for imposing a condi tion of sub-atmospheric pressure in said suction manifold.

5. In an internal combustion engine in eluding cylinders, pistons each having a ring adjacent the upper end thereof and a skirt, and a crank case, a manifold having integral intake and exhaust passages and a reservoir for fluid pressure communicting with said exhaust passage and functioning as a hotspot for said intake passage, a suction mani fold communicating with the joints between said cylinders and pistons at points between said rings and the ends of said skirts which are always within the range of travel of said pistons, a conduit communicating with said reservoir and with the crank case, with which conduit said suction manifold communicates, and an injector in said conduit adjacent the points of communication of said suction manifold with said conduit, said injector being operable by the velocity of the jet of exhaust gas passing through said conduit to impose a condition of sub-atmospheric pressure on said suction manifold.

6. In an internal combustion engine including cylinders, pistons each having a ring adjacent the upper end thereof and a skirt, and a crank case, a manifold having integral intake and exhaust passages and a reservoir for fluid pressure communicating withsaid exhaust passage and functioning as a hot spot for said intake passage, a suction manifo'ld communicating with the joints between said rings and the ends of said skirts at points which are always within the range of travel of said pistons, a conduit communieating with said reservoir and with the crank case, with which conduit said suction manifold communicates, and an injector in said conduit adjacent the points of communication of said suction manifold with said conduit, said injector being operable by the velocity of the jet of exhaust gas passing through said conduit to impose a condition of sub-atmospheric pressure on said suction manifold, said injector including a nozzle of variable length.

7. In an internal combustion engine, in-

, eluding cylinders, pistons and a crank case,

said cylinders being provided with circumferential grooves communicating with the joints between said cylinders and pistons at points within the range of travel of said pistons, an exhaust manifold, a suction manifold communicating with said grooves and with the crank case, a conduit leading from said exhaust manifold to said crank case, with which conduit said suction manifold communicates, and an injector in said conduit operable by the velocity of the jet of exhaust gas througl'l said conduit for; imposing a condition of sub-atmosphericpressure on said suction manifold and in said grooves.

i 8. In an internal combustion engine including cylinders, pistons each having rings adjacent the upper end thereof and a skirt, and a crank case, and manifold having in tegral intake and exhaust passages and a. reservoir for fluid pressure communicating with said exhaust passage functioning'as a hot-spot for said intake passage, said cylinders being provided with circumferential grooves communicating with the joints between said cylinders and pistons at points within. the range of travel of said pistons,

a suction manifold communicating with said grooves, a conduit communicating with said reservoir and with the crank case, with which conduit said suction manifold communicates and an injector in said conduit adjacent the points of communication of said suction manifold with said conduit, said injector being operable by the velocity of thejet of exhaust gas passing through said conduit to impose a condition of subatmospheric pressure on said suction manifold and of said grooves.

9. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston, a crank case, a suction manifold communicating with the joint between the cylinder and piston at a point always within the range of travel of said piston, said suction manifold being in communication with said crank case, and

means for utilizin the exhaust )rcssure for sucking oil through said manifold from between the piston and cylinder and for delivering the same to the crank case.

10. In an internal combustion engine ineluding a cylinder, a piston having a ring adjacent the upper end thereof and a skirt, and a crank case, a suction manifold communicatin'g with the joint between said cylinder and piston at a point between said ring and the end of said'skirt which isalways within the range of travel of said piston, said suction manifold communicating with the crank case, and means for utilizing the exhaust pressure for sucking oil through said manifold from between the piston and cylinder and for delivering the same to the crank case.

11. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston having a ring adjacent the upper end thereof and a skirt, and a crank case, said piston being formed with a circumferential groove opening into the joint between said cylinder and piston at a position between said ring and the end of said skirt which is always with in the range of travel of said piston, a suction manifold communicating with said groove and with the crank case, and means for utilizing the exhaust pressure for sucking oil through said manifold from between the piston and cylinder and for delivering the same to the crank case.

12.111 an internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston, and a crank case, said piston being formed with a circumierential groove opening into the joint between said cylinder and piston at a point always within the range of travel of said piston, said engine being provided with a passage communicating with said groove and said crank case, and means interposed in said passage and operated by the exhaust gases from the engine to cause a suction action in said passage forsucking the oil from between the piston. and cylinder and for delivering the same into the crank case.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto vset my hand. I

CORNELIUS S. CLARK. 

